Full Question:
Hi my name is Priscila and I have had migraines since I was eighteen yrs. old. I'm 31 now. I have a migraine every day regardless of the circumstances. I have taken every over-the-counter drug you can think of from aspirin to allergy medicine to sinus medicine. Recently my migraines have gotten worse because I started college this year. Have you ever had a patient tell you that they have a migraine every day? If so what did you prescribe for them? Did it help them? Priscila.
Answer:
Dear Priscila;
Yes, unfortunately, some people have daily Migraines. We also encounter people who started taking over-the-counter or prescription medications for their Migraines too many times a week, which caused medication overuse headache, aka rebound, and what they then thought were daily Migraines were, in fact, a combination of medication overuse headache and frequent (but not daily) Migraines. For more information on this, please see Medication Overuse Headache - When the Remedy Backfires.
Do you know what any of your Migraine triggers are? It's important to know your triggers, especially since some of them may be avoidable. One of the best tools for identifying triggers is a good Migraine diary. You can download a free diary workbook from our article Your Migraine and Headache Diary. Some of us have food triggers; some of us don't. It's advisable to determine if your daughter does, and an elimination diet is the best way to do that. For more information and a workbook on this, see Managing Migraine - Migraine Trigger Foods.
When someone has three or more Migraines a month, we start looking at preventive medications. We prescribe many different medications. What works for one person may not work for the next, so there's some trial and error involved in finding what works for each patient. There are now over 100 medications and supplements that can be used for Migraine and headache prevention. See Migraine preventive medications – too many options to give up! for more information and a list of medications in use for Migraine prevention.
If your doctor isn’t able to help you, it may well be time to consult a Migraine and headache specialist. It’s important to note that neurologists aren’t necessarily Migraine and headache specialists. Take a look at the article Migraine and Headache Specialists - What's So Special? If you need help finding a Migraine specialist, check our listing of Patient Recommended Migraine and Headache Specialists.
Good luck,
John Claude Krusz and Teri Robert
To review other questions from our Ask the Clinician Column,
browse the Ask the Clinician archives.
If you need help finding a Migraine and headache specialist,
visit our listing of Patient Recommended Specialists.
About Ask the Clinician:
Dr. Krusz is a recognized expert in the fields of headache and Migraine treatment and pain treatment. Each week, he and Lead Expert Teri Robert, team up to answer your questions about headaches and Migraines. You can read more about Dr. Krusz or more about Teri Robert.
